Legislative reports: British Columbia.

• Author: Chan, Audrey

Prior to prorogation on February 12, 2002, the 2nd Session of the 37th Parliament was reconvened on Friday, January 25 for a weekend session. Three government bills were presented, and all received Royal Assent by the end of the weekend: Bill 27, the Education Services Collective Agreement Act; Bill 28, the Public Education Flexibility and Choice Act; and Bill 29, the Health and Social Services Delivery Improvement Act.

In response to a 10-month long dispute between the British Columbia Teachers' Federation and the British Columbia Public School Employers' Association, Bill 27 provided for legislated settlement of a collective agreement that included a 7.5 percent wage increase over three years for teachers. This Bill also provided for the appointment of a commission by the Minister of Education to review the structures, practices and procedures for collective bargaining in the public education sector.

Bill 28 increased the operating flexibility of colleges and post-secondary institutes in the areas of class size, distributed learning, and semester scheduling. In addition, this Bill made various amendments to the School Act, including setting district-wide K-12 class size requirements in the legislation rather than leaving them up to contract negotiations.

Bill 29 addressed collective agreements within the health and social services sectors. Specifically, this Bill gave health authorities the flexibility to reorganize the delivery of services by transferring functions or staff; permitted more flexible work arrangements; allowed contracting for services outside of the collective agreement; and altered notice and layoff provisions. With respect to the social services sector, the Bill eliminated three side deals that were signed by the previous government and the social service unions outside of the collective bargaining process, and enables the open tendering of contracts.

Two Members exercised their right to free votes (an election promise of the Liberal government) during the Committee Stage and Third Reading of Bills 28 and 29.

Third Session, 37th Parliament

The 3rd Session of the 37th Parliament was opened on February 12, 2002, at 2 p.m. with the reading of the Speech from the Throne by Lieutenant-Governor Iona Campagnolo. In the Throne Speech, the Lieutenant-Governor recognized the economic impact, globally and provincially, of the September 11 events. She re-affirmed that the government's central mission is to revitalize the B.C...